This invention relates generally to medical treatment methods and apparatus, and more particularly to methods and apparatus for treating conditions in a living body produced by defective cells or by injury, such as musculo-skeletal conditions and the like.
The above-identified application discloses the use of infrared electromagnetic energy for the treatment of conditions in a living body produced by defective cells, and specifically illustrates the invention in the context of treating tumors. As disclosed therein, the infrared electromagnetic energy is derived from a flowing fluid and is applied directly to the affected area by means of surgically implanted tubes which carry the fluid. The energy is selected to have a wavelength such that it is absorbed by the cells and a cellular-type resonance is produced, and the amplitude of the energy is adjusted so as to cause substantial destruction of defective cells without destroying healthy cells.
There are, however, a number of conditions other than tumors in the living body produced both by defective cells or by injury for which conventional medical, surgical or chiropractic treatment methods are either totally or partially ineffective, or otherwise disadvantageous. Among these are various musculo-skeletal conditions such as edema of a joint, ligament, tendon, muscle or nerve, or related tissues, conditions such as neuralgias and arachnoiditis produced by scar tissue, and conditions produced by calcium or other deposits in joints, tendons or ligaments, to mention a few. The present disclosure extends the techniques of the prior application to the treatment of these and other conditions produced by defective cells or injury.